Ecology & Conservation A guide to Chapter 26

Living Things and Their Environment l Environment: All living and nonliving things with which an organism may interact. l All of the living and nonliving things in an environment are interconnected.

Ecosystems l Ecosystems: All the living and nonliving things in a given area that interact with one another

Community l The living part of the ecosystem.

Population l A group of organisms of the same type, or species, living together in the same area.

Habitats l The place where an organism lives. It should provide food, shelter and all other resources an organism needs to survive.

Energy Roles l Producers l Consumers l Decomposers

Producers l The source of all the food in an ecosystem. Any organism that goes through photosynthesis.

Consumers l An organism that feeds directly or indirectly on producers.

Decomposers l Break down dead organisms into simpler substances.

Food Chains l A series of events in which food and energy are transferred from one organism in an ecosystem to another. The first link is always a producer.

Food Web l Many overlap ping Food Chains

Competition l When there are not enough resources to go around, organisms must struggle with one another to get what they need to survive.

Predation l When one organism hunts another. l Predator: The organisms that hunt. l Prey: The organism that is eaten by the predator.

Predation l When one organism hunts another. l Predator: The organisms that hunt. l Prey: The organism that is eaten by the predator.

Symbiosis l A close relationship between two organisms in which one organism lives near, on or inside of another organism. One will benefit.

Types of Symbiosis l Commensalism l Mutualism l Parasitism

Adaptation l A change that increases an organism’s chance of survival. l Types: l Adapting to predators l Adapting to competition. l Adapting to symbiosis

Ecology Games l Oh Deer!: Habitat, limiting factors, competition, population l Quick Frozen Critters: Predator, prey, adaptations, limiting factors,competition, population. l Muskox Maneuvers: Adaptations, predator, prey, limiting factors, populations l Deadly Links: food chains, pesticides.